Busch's widow Samantha accepted the posthumous honor after Chase Elliott, the award's usual winner, withdrew his name from the voting to support him.
NASCAR fans voted the late Kyle Busch as the Cup Series' Most Popular Driver for the first time in his 25-year career, honoring him six months after his sudden death. Busch died at age 41 in May after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, causing rapid and overwhelming complications that stunned the NASCAR community.
His widow, Samantha Busch, accepted the trophy Tuesday night at NASCAR's season-ending awards banquet at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. She told reporters on the red carpet that Busch had wanted the award for years and called the moment especially meaningful for their children, Brexton and Lennix.
Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports, who had won the award for eight straight years, asked the National Motorsports Press Association to remove his name from this year's voting, clearing the way for Busch to win.
Busch, a two-time series champion in 2015 and 2019, was known as both a fan favorite and a lightning rod during his career, with a fiery demeanor that drew as many detractors as devoted supporters. NASCAR held weekly tributes to him throughout the season following his death.